


kisses

by bitchy_richie



Category: IT 2017
Genre: Apologies, Cute Kids, Developing Relationship, Drama, Homophobia, Jealousy, Kissing Prompts, M/M, Making Out, Multi Chapter, Nail Painting, Parties, School, Underage Drinking, elementary to high school, ill add tags along the way, incorporation of a made up side character, mike comes to public school!, richie & eddie throughout the school years, richie & mike wheeler are cousins!, school based events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-01-30 04:04:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12645735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitchy_richie/pseuds/bitchy_richie
Summary: development of richie and eddie's friendship/eventual romance throughout the years with kisses.





	1. kindergarten - becoming friends

eddie and richie had been tight since kindergarten. two kids, equally lonely kids on the playground. 

it started one day when eddie was being made fun of by a little henry bowers for wearing a pink sweater. he went and sat on the swing, alone, and cried about it. what do you expect, he's five years old. richie noticed almost instinctly, turning his head to see the small framed boy sitting alone on the swing. he too was alone, and he took the opportunity to make a new friend. he strutted over to the tiny boy with high positivity, in attempt to cheer him up. 

"what'cha crying about kid?" richie asked, standing directly in front of eddie. eddie looked up, his eyes puffy and red. "henry made fun of me for my sweater 'cause it's p-pink, but pink is my favorite color." he spoke quietly, sniffling inbetween words and wiping his tears away. "don't listen to yucky ole henry, he's just a big meanie." richie said, sticking his tongue out and sitting in the vacant swing beside him. "i'm richard, but you can call me richie!" he said with a huge grin, sticking his hand out for eddie to shake it if he wished. eddie did, and smiled lightly, responding simply with "eddie." and taking his tiny hand back. 

richie was bubbling with excitement for his new friend, and he was much like playing with a little puppy. "i'll call you eds for short!" richie's smile dropped when he noticed the change in expression on the pink boy's face. "don't call me that. eddie os already short for edward, smartie!" eddie giggled, sniffling a bit but also grinning slightly. "i see that smile, eds! that means you like it!" eddie rolled his eyes, looking down at the ground. the two talked for a little bit about toys and things before richie noticed his teacher raise her hand to get the class to go inside. "looks like my class is going in, eds! meet me here tomorrow, i have a feeling we're gonna become bestest friends!" richie stood up and said, obnoxiously giving eddie a kiss on the cheek before he walked away. "hey, don't call me eds!" eddie shouted, after processing what had just happened. richie was already on his way to meet up with the rest of his class.


	2. first grade - scraped knee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i pretty much have the prompts for each school year set out already but if anyone has anything to add or that they would like to see feel free to comment or shoot me a message! -z

richie and eddie had continued hanging out by the swings together at recess. some days, one of the two wouldn't be there, or the class would not go outside and both of them found that unbearable. that just led to more stories to share back and forth as they swung on the two swings. when one day, richie decided to jump off the swingset, he had landed on a tiny pile of rocks and managed to scrape his knee. eddie immediately jumped (not literally) to his rescue, because the boy had started to cry softly. richie sat on the ground, knees bent, with eddie examining the scrapes. he reached into the pockets of his shorts to pull out some band-aids and a small bottle of disinfectant spray. he had managed to pull all of the rest of the items in his pockets out in the process, which eventually led to the use of the fanny pack. that of which, eddie never heard the end of. as he began to spray the disinfectant spray onto richie's scraped knee, he winced in pain. eddie felt bad, but he didn't want it to get infected. after cleaning and bandaging his scrapes, he pressed a soft kiss to his knee and stood up. after richie looked up at him confused, he said "my mommy does this for me when i hurt myself. it helps." then, he helped him up off the ground and had to leave to go inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this chapter! kudos and comments are appreciated if anyone would like to give them!❤️


	3. second grade - defending him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> basically rich just being an overprotective sentimental bby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please enjoy, more to come soon! also, forgive me for any errors because i type these in my notes at eleven o'clock at night with nobody to proofread and i have autocorrect turned off. thank you for reading!! -z

by second grade, richie and eddie had started hanging out with two other boys. they too were outcasts, just like themselves. their names were bill and stanley. they would sometimes find them at recess and play with them if their classes happened to be out at the same time. 

the four of them individually got made fun of quite a bit, but when they all began to hang out together, it was horrifying, the things that the bullies would say to them. especially at such a young age.

by this time, the kids had started to get a dose of the homophobic nature of their time. the year was 1983, and all prejudiceness was still radiating strong around derry. it was no surprise that kids were made fun of by other kids, but what was surprising about that is how little the teachers did about it and how much little kids assume about others.

so, one day, eddie kaspbrak was sitting on the bench outside of the school waiting for richie, bill, and stanley. he was minding his own business as usual, when he was approached by a group of older kids. 

"hey, nice shorts. what are you, some kind of fag?" said a tall boy with dark brown hair. eddie was unaware of his name, but he was sure he'd seen him lurking around the fourth and fifth grade hall during the day. "fag? what's a fag?" eddie asked, cluelessly. "and what do my shorts have to do with that?" 

the older boy laughed until he cried. eddie remained silent, a wave of noticeable confusion spread across his face. "fag, faggot, gay, homo, they all mean the same thing. you're a little gay boy, that means you like other boys and my parents find people like you disgraceful. and your tiny little shorts, they look like they came out of my four year old sister's bureau." he laughed again, only to laugh more when richie approached him. 

"hey! you! you can't talk to him like that!" richie called out from a few feet behind the bench. the older boy smirked, his eyes narrowing down at richie. "i just did. and who might happen to be, his boyfriend? ho-hoo, just wait until my gang gets a look at you too. they'll be laughin' for days!" richie walks up to the boy and shoves him back a little. eddie shrieks, as richie screams "take that back, asshole!" and is pushed down to the ground. the older kid is about to take a swing at richie when eddie gets up and blocks him, unfortunately with his own cheek. he winced at the pain, but quickly pulled richie to his feet and began fast-walking away, pulling him with a free hand. richie struggles against eddie's pull, ready to go back and swing at the kid himself, but eventually recedes and escapes his line of fury. 

as soon as they find a spot where they aren't crowded by other kids, eddie begins his tangent. "richie, what were you thinking? you could have gotten really hurt, and it would have been all my fault." he holds his quickly bruising cheek in his hand, but stares richie in the eyes. "you're right, eds, but i couldn't let him talk about you like that. instead, he still ended up hurting you. let me see," he grabs eddie's arm, the one cupping his cheek, and pulls it down to reveal the growing bruise. "eddie, i'm so sorry. does it hurt?" eddie nodded his head, tears brimming his eyes and threatening to fall. richie scoots in closer to him, cupping the unbruised side of his face and leaving a gentle kiss on the hurting side. "that's what your momma does when you get hurt?" richie says with a smile, in reference to his knee. eddie nodded and pulled him into a hug, he was smiling as well. they sat like that for a few, until richie suggested they get up and find their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, hope you enjoyed and keep reading!


	4. third grade - school play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie auditioned for the lead role in the most generic play ever to be performed. he asks eddie to help him practice.

"eddie! eds! eddie spaghetti! guess what!" richie yelled excitingly, running up to his best friend as they began walking down the hall of the school to the exit. by the time eddie realized he was chasing after him and stopped walking, richie had stopped and was leaned over trying to catch his breath. eddie walked over to him. "what is it, trashmouth?" he had already earned his honorary life-long nickname by the third grade. really says a lot about a kid. "eds, i got the part." he held up a paper with a casting sheet for their grade's school play. richie had auditioned, and out of sheer luck he was casted as the main male. richie was an impeccable liar and great at improvising things, so eddie wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that his best friend had landed the role of romeo. of course, they had to be doing romeo and juliet. both eddie and richie had agreed that they could not have picked a more generic play to present. when richie had broke the news that he auditioned for the role, eddie laughed for a second but dimmed down and showed his support when he saw just how much richie's eyes lit up as he continued to talk about it. eddie was happy for richie, really glad that he had gone for something as significant as that, but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointment upon hearing the news. he was disappointed by the fact that richie had not told him he decided to audition, and although he'd never admit it he was a little disappointed when he realized that there would be a kissing scene. this meant that some girl would have to kiss his best friend on the mouth and eddie found that incredibly unsettling. 

he wasn't sure why, but he couldn't shake the discomfort away. he recalled all of this after richie spoke about getting the part, and ended up in deep thought. "--ddie? hellooooo! earth to eddie!" richie said, waving a hand in front of eddie's face, "did'ya hear me, eds? i got the part! i get to play romeo in the play." eddie had quickly snapped back to reality. "oh yeah i heard you, thats amazing! im glad you got it." eddie said, pulling richie into a hug. "me too, i can't believe it" eddie could feel the excitement radiating off the taller boy, and couldn't help but feel just as excited for him. 

"do you want to help me run lines after school? ive already started memorizing and ive got some of it down." richie had calmed down by now, but he was still really happy and grinning widely. "of course, i'll meet you at your house after i finish my work." eddie smiled back at his friend, telling him goodbye and going on his way.

an hour or two had gone by, and eddie had finally finished his work. he even managed to convince his mother to let him go. it was a little after 4:30 when richie had opened his kitchen door only to see eddie there, ready to help him out. they ran upstairs and to richie's room to practice his lines. 

three hours, two bags of chips, and a half-full two liter soda bottle later, they had successfully ran almost of richie's lines. richie did a good job of memorizing them, and they were near the end. "so, uh, this may sound a little weird, but you know how there's that kissing scene," richie said quietly, eddie gave a simple response of 'mhm' and waited for richie to finish his statement. "yeah... i'm going to need to kiss you." the look on eddie's face was pure shock. "i-i mean, only if you're okay with that. i'm sure bill and stan are dying for me to kiss them if you aren't okay with that." the look on the smaller boy's face dissipated with a chuckle. "no, that's okay. i told you i'd help you practice for this play right?" eddie smiled up at richie, who was sitting with his legs crossed directly in front of him on richie's full-sized mattress and propped up against the wall. "alright, if you're sure." eddie gave him the okay, and they continued the lines until he got to the end, right near the kiss. just as richie was about to go in. he sprayed some of that mint mouth freshening stuff on his tongue and scooted in closer, cupping eddie's cheek in his hand and moving eddie's face closer to his own. right before richie continued, he asked eddie one last time if he was okay with it -- to which he responded with 'just go ahead and do it already,' and before they knew it richie had closed the gap between them.

it didn't last long, however, both boys were grinning larger than they had ever in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of half assed, my applogies. i'll try my best to keep the updates rolling fast though! thank you for reading 


	5. fourth grade - painted nails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a lil cute pure chapter to make ya smile. the real stuff will becoming soon i PROMISE <3 -z

in fourth grade, eddie had branched out a little from solely richie, bill, and stan. he still hung out with them equally as much, but he began to incorporate new friends into his daily life as well as keeping up with the old. 

this year, after having none of the three boys in his class, he became good friends with a certain redhead named beverly marsh. they were such good friends, in fact, that people who didn't know eddie or beverly a lot would very well think they were a couple. which of course, they weren't, but people loved to assume things about the both of them, both together and individually. 

needless to say, their group of three grew a little larger that year. 

it was no doubt to anyone that eddie was a rather girly boy with a more feminine mystique, therefore when eddie would hang out with beverly in his room on sundays and she would bring her makeup over and practice on eddie none of their friends were shocked or bothered by it. eddie never wore it out in public, but they would snap photos on stanley's polaroid when they were all together. they all adored eddie.

eddie loved the makeup though, and he wished that he could wear it out. he felt like a whole new him when beverly would brighten up his face with some eyeshadows and tint his cheeks with blush. eddie lived for it, and so did richie. unfortunately, eddie knew he'd never be able to get away with wearing it to school, but almost naturally beverly came up with a new plan. she would do his nails. 

it started off with a clear topcoat. nothing of color, just something, and eddie was so happy that he just could not stop looking down at his hands. he would show off his neatly trimmed nails and well-maintained cuticles to his friends at lunch and at recess all the time. gradually, eddie wanted more, so he wanted to try out colored polish.

one evening, richie had been at eddie's house to work on homework together and were messing around like usual. richie was seated at eddie's desk, fumbling around in his drawers. he looked in one and pulled out a few tubes of nail polish. "hey eds, why don't you ever wear these ones?" he asked, holding up the various colors. eddie turned his head and looked to see what richie was holdong up. they were all pastels, the four he had in his hand were blue, pink, yellow, and lavender. "i'm afraid people will make fun of me for it." was all eddie said. he shrugged it off and went back to his work. richie took the tubes and walked over to eddie's bed, sitting at the foot of it. "eds, let me paint your nails!" richie said, shoving the nail polish in eddie's face. he shook his head before saying - "no way. and don't call me eds," to which richie sighed and responded with "why not?" 

eventually, eddie gave in and agreed to let richie paint his nails but only if he could paint richie's. richie did a very sloppy job, lavender and yellow nail polish all over eddie's hands (and even a little on his papers and bed sheets), while richie's was a neat coat of blue. 

"your nails belong in an art museum, eddie spaghetti." eddie rolls his eyes at richie's comment. richie takes eddie's hand in his own and places a kiss to his knuckles. "i'd say they're better than monet, but i'd hate to toot my own horn if you get what i'm sayin!" eddie rolls his eyes a second time. "oh richie, nobody ever gets what you're saying." richie shrugged, and they both busted out in fits of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i live for pure bev/eddie friendship and im not even Sorry


	6. fifth grade - goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie leaves for indiana.

by the time fifth grade rolled around, the group had almost doubled from what it had been just two or so years prior. they had befriended the new kid, ben, and he was a great asset to their friendship. not only did they recruit ben, but also the neighborhood homeschooled kid mike. they all bonded about being outcasts and being treated differently than the rest. they had experienced a lot individually in derry and those experiences brought them more and more together each day. as soon as things started getting good for the kids, one thing had gone terribly wrong. richie had gotten caught stealing from a grocery store, because his parents hadn't bought food for weeks. no charges were pressed and nothing was added to richie's permanent record, but his parents were charged for neglecting their child and needed some time to get in line. they decided it was best for them to send richie away for a bit. the only existing family they could contact was richie's aunt karen down in indiana, so that's where they planned to send him. he would live with them for the remainder of the school year, (which had just started a month or two prior to the incident), and he would attend a christian reformation school to 'get him back in line and clear of any future criminal activity'. 

when richie broke the news to his friends that he'd be leaving soon for hawkins, they were all deeply affected. they couldn't imagine what it'd be like without richie, but they understood that there was nothing they could do about it. they were glad to hear that he wouldn't be completely alone, for his cousin and him were close in age and got along rather well. 

the losers made the most of the time they had with richie before he left, because it was a twelve month program and richie pretty much had no family to come back to for the holidays. he promised to call as often as he could without running up the phone bill and he promised to write letters to each of them about how he was holding up and how much he missed them.

when it came time for him to leave, the losers had all gathered at the barrens one last time, as this had become their main hangout spot. when the car came to take him to the airport, he told each of his friends goodbye.

he came to eddie last, knowing that would be the hardest goodbye to give. they were all crying at this point, and the driver was trying to rush him so he wouldn't miss his flight. before turning in the direction of the car, richie planted a kiss on eddie's face. he wasn't sure where he was aiming, because he managed to get half of his lip and half of his cheek. he tasted the saltiness of the tears that were flooding down his face, a taste that would carry on until he stepped off of the plane and into the car with his aunt and cousins. he would be counting down the days before he could see his friends, but most importantly eddie once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this'll start getting good after this chapter, theres only so much i am willing to do with elementary schoolers as far as kissing is concerned. stay tuned for some drama soon to come >;) -z


	7. sixth grade - reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie returns to derry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize for any spelling errors i may or may not have made throughout the fic, i dont have anyone proofreading

richie had continued to write to all of his friends while he was in indiana, for the most part. he had gone silent two or three months before he returned.

he did return though, around october of the next year. richie had a major growth spurt while he was away, and was probably a solid 5'11 at the age of twelve. he'd grown out his hair, it was past his ears and almost to his shoulders -- and it was as curly as could be. the losers later found out that it was to make him look different from his cousin, because everyone commented on how similar they looked but they just didn't see it. richie got tired of hearing it, so he just grew it out so that people would shut up.

the day richie came home, his parents were waiting in the kitchen for him. his mom was not sober and his father had his bags ready, which makes him contemplate whether or not they were actually waiting for him- but he doesn't stop long enough to care. his father grabs him by the arm and stops him in his tracks. his father then asks if he has been 'cleansed of his sins at this reformation school', to which he responds with 'yes, father. let me go so i can spread the word of god to all of this shitty town' and darts up to his room as soon as he manages to wiggle his arm out of his father's strong grip. they do nothing, so richie takes it upon himself to find some enjoyment. he starts back at school on the following monday, and it was only thursday. not to mention the school day wasn't even halfway over with yet. 

richie grabs a small drawstring bag, reaching for a jar he has full of quarters. he is sure to pack an extra shirt, in case something happens. he also reaches in his side drawer and pulls out a hidden box of cigarettes from the back. his luggage was being shipped back, as he was riding taxis and bus fare from halfway through indiana back home to maine. not that he would refer to maine as his home, he hates that hellhole and has been counting down the days until graduation since third grade, but eddie was there as were the rest of the losers and that was home to him.

he slung the bag on his back and left the room, walking downstairs and back to the kitchen. his parents had disspated from the room, his father's car was no longer parked out in the driveway and his mother was on the couch watching the television with a bottle of vodka in hand. richie spotted his mom's purse on the counter and reached inside to grab her wallet, taking out twenty dollars and putting it back in it's place. he opened the door to outside and walked out.

his first stop would be the arcade. he knew he could kill a good one or two hours there, and there were at least four remaining until his friends got out of school. after a good hour and a half, richie had ran out of quarters. he walked a few buildings down and to the pharmacy, where he purchased a tube of strawberry chapstick and a pack of gum, as well as stealing an extra pack of cigs. with about eighteen dollars remaining from the twenty he took from his mom's wallet, he decided to go to the grocery store. he picked up a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, a few bags of chips, and a box of ho-ho's because they were both his favorite and eddie's. 

after a little more walking, richie had noticed that it was about time for his friends to be getting out of school. he turned the corner and walked a couple of blocks, making it to the school just in time to see lots of kids he didn't recognize barreling out of the two doors. they had started middle school without him, and he didn't really know anyone at first glance. he made his way to the bike ramp, where he knew his friends' bikes would be placed (with the exception of mike, who was still homeschooled).

the first one he saw was beverly. after he made eye contact with her, she began to speedwalk in his direction. ben, bill, and stan were close behind. 

"well if it isn't richard tozier. i thought you'd be some world-famous radio host by now, you seemed to have forgotten us." she spoke, grinning from ear to ear with excitement. she gave him a hug, as did the rest of the group. "sound's like a good alternative, but i could never pass on eddie's mom like that." the group laughed, glad to have him back in their presence. "where's eddie?" richie asked after a moment. 

"he's at home, he's been out 'sick' for two days. mom thinks he's dying and is insisting he stays out but it's just seasonal allergies." ben replied. richie nodded, knowing how his mother is. "i'll go see him in a few but first i want to catch up. how's shitty old derry been without my presence?" richie waited for a response, but none came and there was an awkward tension. as the kids started getting at their bikes, beverly broke the silence. 

"richie, why'd you stop writing?" he snaked his head around to look bev directly in the eyes. "i couldn't." they all stopped dead in their tracks, waiting for further explanation. "i'm serious! i got in trouble and they took away my mailing privelages. they bumped me up to a harder program for the last couple of months to 'get my act straight'." he could feel his friends all collectively roll their eyes. "leave it to you to get in more trouble. it really hurt eddie, y'know." bev spoke softer now, and they had started walking away from the school. "if you're planning on visiting him tonight, you probably shouldn't. his mother wouldn't let you through the front door." stan said, but that wasn't stopping richie. he wanted nothing more than to see eddie right now, and his mom wouldn't get in the way. neither would the rain that had started up. "there's always his window," bill said with a smirk. richie nodded in approval to his idea. "y'know, if you're planning on surprising him without provoking his anger-" ben said, the losers stop and look at him to hear out his idea, "there's a flower shop a block before his neighborhood." richie put a hand on ben's shoulder and praised him. "ben, you are just a genius. all of you are full of great ideas. we'll catch up tomorrow!" richie grinned widely, removing his hand and beginning to go on his own way. he began to sprint as the rain picked up. "make sure you don't get hydrangeas, you know he's allergic!" stan called out after him. richie responded by giving him a thumbs up as his speed picked up to a slight run. the rain had began to soak his hair, but his bright smile never left his face. he sprint/ran all the way to the flower shop, picked up a bouquet of assorted flowers -- making sure to grab some of his favorite colors, but leaving out the hydrangeas. 

by the time richie made it to eddie's house, he was soaking wet. he was also very nervous, he had no idea what to say or how eddie would react to him showing up at his window after a whole year. that didn't stop his feet from moving towards the house.

eddie had some time to think the year that richie had been out of his life. not much had happened with eddie himself, he just felt like he was missing half of himself. something was off with eddie, and everyone could tell. he smiled less, hung out less, cried more, etc. the bullying didn't stop while richie was away, in fact it was probably worse, but eddie didn't care. he was too lost within himself to notice. he took the punches, both literally and physically. he couldn't find it in himself to care, he was so tired and exhausted. eddie felt wrong hanging out with his friends, not because they werent his friends but because without richie they wouldn't be. richie was so annoying, but eddie was nothing without him. not nothing to other people, but nothing to himself. he was pissed when richie stopped writing, he worried for a whole month that richie found a new best friend and wouldn't come back to derry, but he got over it. he stopped caring, and he was more hurt than anything. he took his medicine like he was supposed to, he never snuck out or disobeyed his mother. he was like a robot, the same robot he was before he met richie. he was nothing but allergies, and he had missed almost the entire week of school because of it. 

throughout the year, though, eddie began to realize why richie leaving had such an impact. he knew he liked boys, and he didn't care if other people did too. he had come to terms with that when he met richie, and since that moment eddie had the biggest crush on him. that much, he never did come to terms with. he thought he never would, so he pushed all that aside and swallowed it whole. it didn't resurface until richie had left, and all of the losers saw straight through it. they knew what was up. eddie loved richie, surely, they were best friends. love was just such a strong word.

eddie thought a lot, perhaps too much about richie while he was gone. at this point he had given up, and he tried to tell himself that he didn't care if richie came back or not. he did, of course, but he was so deep into this slump of depression that he didn't think any less than what he said. eddie was in deep thought, but that thought was soon disrupted when he heard a silenced knocking on his window. he heard rain too, and at first he just thought it was the trees in the wind hitting the window. he didn't care enough to turn around and look at it, not until he heard his name being called. 

eddie shifted in his bed, which was coincidentally right beside the window, and turned to see the very boy who had unknowingly put him through so much. "richie?" he said questionably, reaching for the window. for a second he thought he was imagining the boy outside, but he was brought to terms with it when he heard richie speak again. "eds, let me in please it's pouring down rain and i'm wetter than your mother right now!" 

richie was soaked. actually, soaked was an understatement. richie was drenched. as soon as eddie helped richie in, he walked out of his bedroom and grabbed a few towels out of the linen closet. he returned and handed the towels to richie and sat back down on his bed. eddie started breathing heavy and thought for a second he may need his inhaler, but he resisted. after richie dried himself off with one towel and placed another on the bed, he sat. he slung off his bag and opened it, pulling out the snacks and placing them on the floor. proceeding the snacks, richie pulled out the individually picked flowers from the flower shop. 

"eddie, i-" the smaller boy's eyes brimmed with tears. "shut up, richie. just shut up." eddie pulled richie into a tight hug. eddie was already sobbing, and richie had a few tears threatening to leave his eyes. "eddie, im sorry i stopped writing. it's not because i wanted to, they just wouldn't let me write anymore. i promise i didn't forget. eddie, i could never forget you." this made eddie cry harder, grabbing fistfulls of richie's damp sweatshirt and pulling himself closer to richie. 

after about ten minutes of this, eddie finally let go of richie. he had stopped crying, for the most part, but any tear that rolled down his face richie wiped away with his sleeves. eddie reached up, placing a hand on one side of richie's face. he looked richie in the eyes, then his eyes flickered down to his lips. looking back up, richie smiled indicating that he understood what he wanted and that it was okay. this was all eddie needed, before boldly pressing his lips against richie's. it was inexperienced and clumsy, but it was sweet. again it didnt last long, but it was longer than their parting kiss. eddie pulled away and rested his head in the crook of richie's neck while richie soothingly rubbed circles on his back. 

for a moment, both boys felt at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took a couple of days, ive had a rough week /: hope you enjoy, and prepare yourselves for the following chapters! -z


	8. seventh grade - cpr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie & bill play baseball. richie has an "accident."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is very short i think, especially compared to the last chapter but that also took me a few days to write as this one took me around twenty-thirty minutes. i think the next chapter may be split into two parts, but'll be something kinda new so stay tuned! -z

richie had always been tall and skinny, but after another growth spurt he had hit 6'1. he was the tallest of the group. this wasn't shocking to anyone who had seen richie's parents, his father stood at an intimidating height and his mother was above average height for your typical female, however, this boy was twelve years old. bill was quite tall as well, but he only came up to richie's nose. (he was around 5'10 at the time.) because of their height, they could have done basketball, but because they both had prior experience they decided to join the baseball team together. it was rearing in on the second semester of seventh grade year, and they had made it past the tryouts and had played in every game so far. eddie, stan, and beverly came to every game. ben came when he wasn't having book club meetings after school, and mike even came whenever he was available. they cheered on their friends. and they loved to embarrass them. they were really, really good though. and although they were both very skinny, the uniforms really accented their butts well. the losers talk about this on a regular basis. 

speaking of skinny though, richie is a bit too skinny. this is something eddie keeps a close eye on, because he knows his parents don't necessarily shop for food as regularly as they should. (or, at all.) sometimes, eddie finds himself packing extra food in case richie was without. today, richie had lunch detention, so he didn't get to eat the food eddie had packed for him.

eddie should've commented on his face looking so much paler than usual, his ribs seeming more prominent today than usual, his fingernails speckled with more of those white spots you get when you're calcium deprived. he should've, because halfway through the game, richie collapsed. the coaches rushed to pick him up and bring him to the side, getting a cold rag and placing it on his forehead. they listened for a pulse, only to find that it wasn't really there. it was so faint. the game had stopped, and the coaches were freaked. when the coach of their school's team yelled out, asking if anyone knew cpr, eddie jumped up and rushed over to where the were.

he directed them in the correct position to do compressions, and helped guide them in doing so while he felt for a pulse. after a couple of minutes, they found that his pulse had not moved. 

"kaspbrak. don't you have asthma? grab your inhaler! try that on 'em." the coach suggested, which came off as more of a demand. he ran quickly to the stands where stan was already shuffling through his bag to find it. he grabbed it and handed it to eddie, who ran back in two seconds flat but had to take a puff of it himself before shoving it in richie's mouth.

it only helped a little, so eddie decided he had to do mouth to mouth. the coach did the compressions, and he followed with two short breaths into richie's mouth. eddie was fearful, fearful of what the people watching, (which was everyone at this point-) would say about that but he knew it wasn't the time to be worrying because he needed to help his dying friend. 

when richie finally "came back to life", the entire crowd cheered. even the opposite team. after a few minutes, the game continued. richie wasn't allowed in the next game, just to be sure that he was okay and this wouldn't happen again. when the attention was taken off of richie and eddie and back onto the game, richie said an obnoxious "thanks for saving me babe!" and leaned up to leave a peck on eddie's lips as his face was hovering above him, this made eddie's heart flutter. eddie rolled his eyes and retorted with "don't make me regret it." before laughing and helping richie off the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, i hope you enjoyed! comment and let me know if you'd like me to include any other ships in this because i could probably make it work. i live for stenbrough and benverly but i also love rairpairs so let !! me !! know !!❤️ -z


	9. eighth grade p.1 - realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie gets eddie high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome the angst >;)

richie was an avid smoker, most people knew this already. he stuck mostly to cigs, but occasionally he'd get high with bev or bill, as well as sometimes by himself. 

most people don't know that richie's home life is shit. when people find out they arent typically all that shocked, because they can see how his personality ties in with it, but it's never their first thought. when richie would have a significantly bad day, he would walk to eddie's and climb up his window. they'd sit and talk about what happened, richie would vent and sometimes cry, but eddie was always there for him. despite what you'd probably think, eddie isn't very open about his own feelings and in richie's case he tends to put forth richie's needs for venting over his own.

so, richie thought of a great idea. operation: get eddie high.

he knew eddie would refuse to smoke because of his asthma, so he whipped up the next best thing. pot brownies!

it was a saturday, and the two already had plans to hang out. they didn't really know what they'd do, but they usually didn't. by the time richie had made it to eddie's house, he was already kind of high. he had a bit of one of the brownies on the way there. when eddie came to the door, richie rushed him out. he started walking in the direction of the barrens. 

when they got there, richie sat down on the grassy area of the field. he unzipped his bag and pulled out the nicely wrapped brownies.

"eds, will you get high with me?" richie asked. eddie scoffed. "no way, you know i can't smoke with my asthma. last thing i need is a trip to the emergency room only for my mother to find out ive been smoking pot." eddie folded his arms, the large sized yellow sweatshirt hanging off of his arms. "you don't have to smoke it, you know." he replied, holding up the bag of the brownies.

this gave eddie second thoughts, and although he knew it was a bad idea he couldn't help but feel tempted. "alright but if i die, richie, i swear to god you are going to get it from my mother." eddie took the bag out of richie's hands, opening it up and grabbing one of the individually wrapped brownies. "that's the goal." richie said slyly with a smirk.

about twenty to thirty minutes post-consumption, it started to kick in. it was of course natural for richie, but eddie on the other hand...

he was a trip. richie was well entertained. as eddie started to get used to the feeling, he became more giddy and clingy. "y'know, rich, ive only ever kissed one person other than you," eddie said at a random point in conversation. "and who would that be?" eddie giggled before responding with "my mother." and they both broke out into laughter. "y'know eds, i've only ever kissed one person other than you either. you know who that was?" eddie settled down and sat beside richie. "and who would that be?" richie paused for a second before saying "your mother." eddie busted out laughing until he started wheezing. richie started to reach for the spare inhaler he carried around in his bag, but eddie swatted his hand away from it. "i don't need it!" 

and he didn't need it. he caught his breath like normal before smashing his lips on richie's.

richie thought for a second that he may have needed the inhaler, because he wasnt expecting that and it had already taken his breath away. as soon as his heart rate had returned to a semi-normal rate, he kissed back with all he had. he placed one hand on the side of eddie's face, his other behind him holding him up on the ground. eddie snaked an arm around richie's neck, and richie nibbled lightly on eddie's bottom lip to allow his tongue entrance. eddie obliged, and the two inexperiencedly 'explored' eachother's mouths. richie used the hand on the side of eddie's face to pull him in closer and tilt his head a little, allowing him to deepen the kiss a little bit more. by this point, eddie was practically in richie's lap with his legs on either side of him. after a while, they broke apart to breathe and laughed for a solid five minutes. eddie moved off of richie and laid down in the grass beside where richie was sitting. richie moved and laid down as well.

"yellow's a pretty color on you, eds." he said, referencing the sweatshirt he was wearing. eddie giggled, and without thinking blurted out the words that would change everything. "richie, i love you." richie froze, and for a minute he couldn't say anything. "i've been loving you. probably since kindergarten. you were the only kid on the playground who wanted to talk to me. the only one who would befriend the little gay boy." richie cut him off before he could continue. "eddie, you're just high." eddie furrowed his eyebrows and sat up. "no, richie, i'm serious." he said sternly. "i lost everything when you left in fifth grade. that whole year, i was nothing. when you almost died at your game last year? i didn't have to give you cpr- i could have left it to other people to do while i sat and worried but i didn't want someone else to save you. i wanted to be the one to save you so hopefully you'd find reasons to love me back. i'm nothing without you-" richie cut him off halfway through his sentence. "eddie, no. you don't love me. i know you don't. you're high-"

eddie's eyes were filled with tears. "and what makes you think you can justify my feelings? huh? i bet you got me high just to use me, then wait for me to spill out my feelings to you so you could reject me. fill that ego of yours. i can't do this." eddie got up to leave. he started walking, and heard richie calling his name telling him not to go. he didn't aknowledge it, he just kept walking. he couldn't go home like this, so he started walking in the direction of bill's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are about to get JUICY my friends. stay tuned. also 3 updates within the same 3 or 4 hours? go me
> 
> * let me know what you're thinking so far and how you want to see this go!  
>  **** also if you want to see any other ships incorportated in this fic throughout, (i'll do any involving the losers- excluding richie and eddie and anything poly.) COMMENT NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!  
>  enjoy!


	10. eighth grade p.2 - trippin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> richie gets a girlfriend and eddie has lost himself. and people need to watch where they’re walking in the school hallways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is short /: sorry

after the day of the ‘confession’, things had changed a lot for richie and eddie. they tried to keep things together so the group didn’t fall apart, but it wasn’t the same.

they hardly spoke, and they never sat around each other. all of the time eddie would have spent with richie, he spent primarily with beverly and stan - and richie spent this time alone or with bill. that was just how things worked out. 

there was so much tension within the group that they all hung out less. this meant that collectively they all saw mike less, which was sad for them all - but they had received the good news that he would be joining them at derry high school the following year as a freshman. but so much had changed, richie had even gotten himself a girlfriend. 

a girlfriend!

when he broke the news to the losers, they were at the barrens. it was a few months after ‘the incident’ between richie and eddie, and when richie announced it eddie felt like he was going to puke. he just wanted to leave. he wanted to leave town, and he wanted to leave richie. after about ten minutes of trying to mask his reaction to the news, he got up and left - playing it off as if he had a doctor’s appointment.

eddie did not hang out with the group for the next three weeks, and he ignored richie at all costs.

he would be walking to class and see richie, propped up against a locker with a girl beside him. this girl, aka his girlfriend, just so happened to be one of the most lovely girls in their grade. her name was bunny, and she was super sweet but also very funny. she didn’t take crap from anyone, and she was as genuine as the day is long. in eddie’s mind, that means very.

days are very long to him now. eddie noticed himself losing interest in things he enjoyed, like when richie left. this is different from when richie left for that whole year, because richie is here but eddie cannot have him. it’s like having a craving for something you’re allergic to, or so he explained to beverly. beverly and stan had been the two he spoke to about his grievances, because they usually gave him solid advice. that was mainly an excuse though, as he was too afraid to talk about it with other people. 

one day towards the end of the year, eddie was putting up the books from his last class. he was stopped at his locker when he noticed richie walking in his direction. eddie wasn’t having it, so he proceeded to ignore him. richie looked disheveled and upset. he was also in a hurry.

when richie approached eddie, the halls had been crowded. the crowd was slowly dissipating, children leaving out the front doors on their way home. richie had begun talking when someone pushing through the halls had shoved him forward. he was mid sentence when his lips and body collided with eddie’s. 

eddie stumbled onto the ground, richie on top of him, and their lips connected for a split second. richie quickly pulled away and stood up, offering a hand out to pull eddie up. 

“eddie, i am so sorry about that. are you okay? let me help you-“ richie looked genuinely afraid. he responded with a sharp “im fine.”, quickly declining his hand and standing up on his own. he closed his locker door and began walking off in the other direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE MY LAST UPDATE! ive been having device issues ans social issues but hopefully my updates will become frequent again. so sorry for the wait /: psa: IT GETS BETTER AFTER THIS! -z


	11. ninth grade - jealousy and breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> eddie forms a plan to woo richie back from his girlfriend, and it works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to the commenter on the last chapter who proposed the idea of jealous richie. i loved the idea, and i tried my best to incorporate it well into my plot. i hope this satisfies your idea, you a real g.

that summer was short, and things had started getting back to normal. mike had joined the losers at derry high, and the group was back together— richie and eddie had even become friends again.

of course richie was still dating bunny, the amazing girl who ‘stole richie away from eddie but didn’t mean to because she’s too nice’ as eddie said frequently. eddie wonders how richie scored someone so genuine and amazing, but on top of wondering that eddie came up with a great idea. 

he could make richie jealous by getting a significant other of his own. 

now of course eddie was gay, so it’d be a little more difficult, but eddie noticed the guys in his gym class breaking their necks to look at him. he still wore those tight fitting short shorts and he rocked them. eddie was a cute kid, possibly the cutest, but his shorts, curls and sassy personality got the attention he needed and would use to get in richie’s head. 

eddie thought through many aspects, one being the fact that he’d be using someone who may actually have feelings towards him solely for his own benefits, and considering all factors he came up with a plan. 

stan would be his fake boyfriend.

okay so they wouldn’t necessarily be ‘boyfriends’, but they would make it work.

the two formed a plan, and decided to put it to action a few months into their freshman year. they started off with the little things: hand holding, sharing food (sanitarily), cuddling, doing things together, etcetera. stan was more than willing to help, as long as it meant he didn’t have to kiss eddie on the lips. this, of course, eddie was fine with.

when richie would bring his girlfriend to their hangouts, eddie would flirt with stan. when richie wouldn’t bring his girlfriend, he would flirt even harder. they had become very close during this time period, so it seemed legitimate. they even held hands at school.

eddie had that same level of comfortability with stanley now as he used to have with richie. he found himself coming to stan more than others when it came to problems with richie or with his mother. he still remained close with bev, but since bunny had come into the picture the two had become quick friends. bev appreciated not being the only girl all the time, but she was still supportive of eddie.

-

after a month or two of eddie’s shenanigans, he had began to think that it wasn’t effective. he was ready to call it quits with stan when richie approached him. he thought maybe richie just didn’t care enough, or that he didn’t notice.

but richie noticed.

every time he would see eddie and stan together, something inside him went off. it made him pissed off, and it made his blood boil- sometimes it made him so mad that he had to leave before he accidentally hit stan. and hitting stan was the last thing he wanted to do.

he didn’t know what was going on or why, but it had him heavily distracted and it messed him up. his girlfriend noticed this, and was very understanding when richie sat her down to discuss a few things. 

it was a particularly cold evening, or as cold as you’d imagine maine in mid-october. eddie found himself in a similar situation as when richie had returned from indiana. eddie had fallen asleep in the midst of a math assignment when he was awoken by a soft tapping at his window. he jolted upright, taking a look in the direction of the window and opening it.

“richie? what are you doing here?” eddie said, yawning and closing his math book. he put it to the side. “i’ll explain as soon as you let me inside.” eddie sighed and opened the window fully, so that richie could climb in. eddie looked at him, ready for an explanation.

“so i broke up with bunny today.” he started. “it just stopped feeling right. recently i’ve realized a lot about myself, things that i think i may have been ashamed of myself for in the past, and i think at this point i can move past that. ive done a lot of thinking and considering-“ eddie cut him off. “just spit it out already, tozier.” he said sternly, crossing his arms. 

“i think i’m gay.” eddie was genuinely shocked- not at the fact, but at the amount of time it took him to accept it. eddie mentally rolled his eyes. “what made you realize?” he asked, schemingly. 

richie took a deep breath in, and spoke. “so over the last couple of months i’ve noticed yourself and stan the man getting closer, and if i’m being honest it’s made me kind of jealous. seeing you two made me realize that what i had with bunny wasn’t what i wanted, and i didn’t want to put her through the emotional stress so i explained to her my thoughts and we kind of agreed to break it off.” eddie’s head was going crazy, and his heart rate had gone out of the roof. “alright, so what do you mean by ‘i think’?” 

richie raised his eyebrows. “what do you mean?” eddie rolled his eyes for real that time. “you said you thought you were gay. what did you mean by you think? do you not know?” 

“i mean, im pretty positive. i dated bunny for almost a whole year and every time i kissed her i felt like i was kissing my mother. not that i’d kiss my mother, but it just felt like nothing was there. i guess i don’t really know, but i thought maybe you could help me find out. but then i remembered you were dating stan now or whatever.” 

“i’m not dating stan, you asshole.” eddie laughed. richie’s face lit up. “wait, wh-what do you mean you aren’t dating stan? you two are practically inseparable, you always cuddled on movie nights and held hands at school, you even shared food and that’s next level flirting-“ richie paused, “and why are you laughing?” 

saying that made eddie laugh again, a devilish grin on his face. “were you jealous of stan and i, rich?” his grin turned into a smirk when richie looked down at the bed. “i mean, sure i was, a little...” 

“okay, maybe a lot. it made me really angry and i know that sounds wrong because i had a girlfriend, but sometimes i just wanted to fight stan but i knew that was a bad idea so i’d leave. it made me furious, really. i felt like i was in competition with stan for your attention but then i also remembered that we haven’t really talked in a while.” eddie looked away. “eds, i know that’s my fault. after everything that happened, i understand if you don’t want to be best friends or even if you don’t want to let me do this,” richie paused for a moment, taking in a shallow breath. “eddie, can i kiss you?”

eddie’s face looked like he had seen a ghost. he was shocked, of course, but more surprised that it worked. part of him felt guilty, like he ripped richie away from his girlfriend, but he didn’t care. he was just focused on richie right now. “i guess.” he responded hesitantly.

richie moved closer to eddie, their knees now touching. he placed a hand on eddie’s face which made eddie jolt upright. it had been pretty much a full year since the two had any sort of physical contact that wasn’t forced or an accident. he placed a hand on eddie’s shoulder, pulling him forward and pressing his lips against eddie’s own.

it started off slow and eager. in almost no time, it became heated and sloppy. it was almost a hunger, a starvation- over a years’ worth of desperation from the both of them- and next thing you know richie was gently lowering eddie down on the bed, looming over him. a hand was slipped under eddie’s large tee shirt, soon to be taken off with as little breaking away from each others’ mouths as possible. richie’s soon followed.

hands and tongues wandered, exploring their new territories to their deepest advantage, while remaining as quiet as they could so eddie’s mother didn’t barge in and catch them.

of course, neither boy was ready for sex or sexual thing, especially given the circumstances, so they didn’t go any further than making out— but it lasted a while and both boys were pleased by it.

richie laid down next to eddie, wrapping an arm around his bare torso, and cuddled into the smaller kid. knowing they’ll have to face their feelings at some point soon worried them both, but instead of worrying they take advantage of the peaceful bliss of each others’ company at that moment.

it wasn’t long until they dozed off, sleeping better than the both had in a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i !! love !! jealous !! richie !! and if anyone is wanting it i’m totally willing to take the idea and make a oneshot cause i want that. lmk kids ;)
> 
> this was meant to be more of a two-part story but since the last grade was two part i didn’t want to have two in a row.
> 
> also, as always, hope you like this chapter! im ready to be finished with this story so i can write a few more ideas so i apologize if it seems forced or rushed. leave a comment if there’s anything else any of you would like to see me try and incorporate into this or on the side! -z


	12. tenth grade - party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the losers throw a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mention of underage drinking~ i dont condone it but if you have issues with reading it you have been warned!

from then on out, richie and eddie had slowly become more exclusive. no, they weren’t dating, but they were together and everyone knew. they were back to hanging out often, a good number of those ‘hang outs’ included cuddling and semi-heated make out sessions. they were in no rush for labels, but they were practically a couple. it irritated the losers to no end though.

upon getting out of school for christmas break, mike brought up a great idea of throwing a party. it would be a low-scale party without a lot of people, mostly just the losers and anyone they felt like inviting who would be willing to come.

mike’s grandfather was out of town for the week, so naturally, the idea of alcohol came up. of course, they were all underage (most of them around age fifteen) but they decided to live a little.

it was around 9:00 on a friday evening. it ended up being just the losers and bunny, richie’s ex, who was totally open-minded and cool with the idea of richie and eddie being exclusive. she was still really good friends with richie, as well as the rest of the losers, and she was very close with beverly.

things were getting boring, so they cracked open the alcohol. richie, stan, and mike decided not to drink; richie because of the emotional trauma from his mother, stan because someone would need to keep them in line and make sure nobody goes crazy with it, and mike because he was responsible for anything that happened to the house.

that left bill, ben, beverly, bunny, and surprisingly - eddie. 

eddie didn’t drink much, richie was afraid he wouldn’t handle his alcohol well. he didn’t want him to get sick off of it. much to nobody’s surprise though, eddie was quite the lightweight. somewhere along the way, someone suggested one of the most generic party games. seven minutes in heaven.

they played it as if it was spin the bottle, the first two victims being ben and beverly. their only rule was that you had to kiss on the lips once, any further was their own doing. after their seven minutes were up, they came back out looking disheveled. next was mike and stan, both of which were sober and in control of their actions. 

next was bev and bunny, (bev had a magnet.) this one was kind of funny to the group, as both bev and bunny knew how to handle their alcohol and were practically sober. as they went in, the group collectively called beverly a hoe. they came out looking normal, but you could see a trail of hickies on bunny’s neck.

after that, bev decided to crank up the volume some. it was richie’s turn to spin, so without him noticing she slipped the magnet into eddie’s back pocket. the bottle landed on eddie, as the group let out a collective ‘oooo’ as the pair stood up and entered the closet. 

richie had to admit that something about this made him nervous, he thought that maybe it had something to do with eddie being intoxicated- he remembered the last situation like this and how it didn’t turn out well- but things were different now.

sitting down on the floor in the small closet they were sent to, richie crossed his legs. “eds, we don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. we could just say we kissed and they’d believe us.” eddie looked down at richie, still standing. “haha, rich, you’re kidding right?” he said, his words slurred together but still clear. 

richie cleared his throat. “uh, no, im not kidding. i don’t want you to do or say anything you may regret.” eddie laughed. “oh richie. im not gonna profess my love for you again.” eddie lowered himself to the ground, eye level in the dark closet with richie. “i’ll save that for when im normal again. right now i’m drunk and vulnerable,” he reaches a hand out to touch richie’s cheek “all of this chitchat has already taken up about two minutes of my time,” richie tries to push eddie’s comments out of his head as eddie’s opposite hand moves to touch richie’s chest, “and i really want to make out with you right now.” 

richie reached his head up and placed a kiss on eddie’s lips, pulling eddie closer to him as the smaller boy moved to position himself on his lap, a knee on either side of his torso.

eddie tugged at richie’s hair as he kissed him harder, earning a soft grunt from the other boy. he licked his bottom lip as if to ask for entrance, and richie was very surprised by eddie’s levels of enthusiasm as he parted his lips and allowed.

eddie parted, pressing sloppy kisses along richie’s jaw. he found a spot, directly under his ear by the corner of his jaw and gently bit it, sucking it long enough to leave a mark. he did this a couple more times in a couple more places, and then placed his lips back on richie’s. richie did the same for him, pleased by the way eddie’s head flung back as he bit his neck. 

there was a little more of this back and forth before they heard a knock at the door. “um,” there was a pause, and the two separated from each other. “your seven minutes are up, you can come out now.” it was bill’s voice, but you could hardly distinguish what he was saying due to the alcohol and his speech impediment, which was clearing up well, but the intoxication brought it back some. richie and eddie looked at each other and laughed. richie stood up first, reaching a hand down for eddie to grasp so he could help him up. richie opened the door and stepped out. the group looked at them and went silent, before mike spoke up. “well damn eddie, i didn’t think you had it in you!” they all laughed, and they laughed hard. the game continued for a bit— stan and bill went coming out the same way, bunny and mike went, bill and bev. each reaction was different, and they were all having a great time. richie couldn’t help but keep replaying what eddie had said earlier in his head, ‘i’ll save that for when i’m normal again,’ in reference to his brutal love confession a couple years back. the more richie thought about it, the more he realized that he’s loved eddie all along. 

as they began to get tired and fall asleep, richie held eddie closer than he had in a while. he didn’t sleep well that night, but he was happy. his heart fluttered every time he’d hear eddie’s soft, cat-like snoring. richie admired this boy, and he always had— and that night he realized he had it bad for eddie.


	13. eleventh grade - prom (take me home tonight)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this took so long. i have a lot going on right now with the holidays, exams, family/personal issues, eyc. writing is very difficult for me right now. hope you understand! -z

needless to say, shortly after that party richie and eddie were confronted of their feelings for eachother. at this point in time, richie and eddie had been dating officially for a few months. it was junior year, and the losers were officially ready for prom.

they were going for the experience, not really for the prom itself, but eddie, ben, and beverly were all three secretly very excited. they all got fitted in their tuxes and beverly in her dress, and they were ready on their way to go.

it was prom night already, and the kids were being picked up. they weren’t really going as dates, except for richie and eddie and ben and bev, but bill and stan decided to go together and mike took their old pal bunny along. since they were already taking two cars, they decided to split up some by “dates”. richie, beverly, bunny, and bill were in beverly’s car while eddie, mike, ben, and stan were in mike’s truck.

when they first got there, they made sure to take photos before someone spiked the punch— they took some outside and at the photo booth. they started off in a big group, sitting around and watching everyone dance. eventually they’d disperse to socialize and dance a little, and by nine or ten o’clock they were about half-wasted. 

richie and eddie went on the dance floor when it called for a couples’ dance. they slow danced to ‘time of my life’ from dirty dancing, and to africa’s ‘toto’. 

during the slow songs, the two danced like everyone else. everyone was so focused on their partner or was too intoxicated to draw much attention to them. richie was thankful for this because he took the opportunity to kiss eddie. the taste of alcohol on his boyfriend’s lips, the flashing lights of derry high’s gym, the music- loud enough to mask a murder. richie stopped the kiss to say a simple “you’re so beautiful.” to eddie before resuming again with a little more force. 

as the songs went off and on, the two kept dancing. as whitney houston’s ‘i wanna dance with somebody’ rung through the ears of the students in the gym, the two had grown tired of the whole ‘prom’ vibe. the song was coming to a close when eddie leaned up and kissed richie lightly on the cheek. “i love you, richie.” richie snuck a hand down to eddie’s waist, the other placed on the back of his neck. “i love you too, eds. more than you’ll ever know.” 

the next song began playing loudly on the speakers as richie bent down to kiss eddie. ‘take me home tonight’ by eddie money. a soft squeeze to eddie’s waist and a flick of tongue was enough for eddie to pull away and ask in a hurry, “we should go. your house?” richie took no time to oblige, nodding and pressing one last kiss to eddie’s lips before pulling him by his wrist out of the school. (they had to call a cab, since neither of them drove. i’ll leave the rest to your own imagination.) 

Take me home tonight  
I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light  
Take me home tonight  
Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang  
Be my little baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry you all had to wait so long for a shitty chapter, this could have been so much better. i’m just ready to get this over with so that i can move on and write some more. i’ll try to have the last chapter up as soon as i can, hopefully/most likely sometime this week. again, im very sorry. -z


	14. twelfth grade - graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> graduation & moving on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> figured i’d go ahead and provide this. this is it guys, we made it!

it was the end of senior year, and graduation was just around the corner. the losers couldn’t believe how far they’d come, it was truly bittersweet to reminisce on how they came to be. a group of outcasts, each for their own reasons, coming together and forming a bond closer than family. 

however, graduation meant change. they were going off to different schools in different states, but they swore to keep in touch. 

eddie was anxious about graduation. he planned to take a gap year, his mother’s suggestion of course. she wanted him to stay in derry and help her out for a year before he could go off to school. of course, eddie hated the idea but he had no other opportunity.

richie, however, would be attending nyu in the fall. the thought of this made eddie cry. not only was he proud of richie for getting into his top school, he would also be leaving eddie behind. eddie would be stuck in derry while all of his friends were out having the time of their lives in college.

richie waited until a few weeks before exams to break the news to eddie and the rest of the losers. they were all happy for him and reassured him that he made the right decision. richie didn’t want to leave any of them behind, especially eddie, but he needed to get a start on his life and to get the hell out of derry. the losers were all partially expecting him to beg eddie to come with him, but days and days went by— not a word about it. 

eddie figured, once they graduated, it would be the end of him and richie. 

since richie and ben both planned to go out of state for college, the losers planned a two week long road trip following their graduation. they planned to go all the way down the east cost, hitting the cities of the north, the beaches of the carolinas, all the way down to miami florida, stopping at many sites along the way.

graduation came fast, as did the tears. without a doubt, the losers were ready to embark on possibly their last journey together. they rented a big van with two rows of three seats.

driving was mike, as he was the most trustworthy. the passenger’s seat was rotating, but stan sat there most because he didn’t wish to be squished inbetween bill, ben, and beverly. this usually left the three of them in the middle row, and richie and eddie in the very back.

they stopped at many attractions, purchasing souvenirs at almost all of them, most importantly getting a penny press from each stop that had one. 

they were having the time of their lives. it was the end to many things, but the beginning to much much more.

as the road trip came to an end, the losers prepared to say goodbye to richie. he planned to leave just a day after their return. while in new york on the way back to derry, he had them stop by the apartment he’d be in.

they spent a whole day there, and spent some time around the city of new york while they had the advantage of doing so.

when they returned to derry, richie spent his last day packing and with eddie. eddie had been very emotional about the whole situation, which really only made it more difficult. 

after the packing was finished, richie decided to reminisce on the old memories of derry. 

they started at the elementary school, sitting on the swings of the playground where they first met. they walked to the theater, to various parks and restaurants, and other places monumental to their childhood and their relationship. 

as it grew darker outside, the two made their way to the barrens. they sat down in the same old field and watched the sun as it set. throughout many laughs, tears, and kisses, richie told eddie how much he loved him.

the sky was a nice purple and pink shade, the clouds covering the majority of the remaining daylight. it got chillier, as if something was dying. 

it was a picture perfect scene, a beautiful darkening sky and two kids in love. the conversation had died down a little, and there was the slight tension. eddie thought this would be the last of his richie, how he would find better people to date in college, surely he would forget about him after a while. the thoughts of richie with someone else ran a marathon through his mind, and that’s when richie spoke up. 

“eddie, i know this is tough for you.” he started. “with me moving to new york and all that. i just want you to know that whatever happens, i love you to death.” eddie sighed. “i love you too, richie.” he kissed richie’s cheek lightly.

“eds, i want you to marry me. i can’t imagine a life without you. i know it’s early and we just graduated, and i promise if you say yes we can wait a few years but please, say yes.” he fumbled around in his pocket, eventually pulling out a ring and placing it on eddie’s finger. eddie had to contain himself, trying his best to refrain from screaming. “yes, rich, oh my god. a million times, yes.” he looked down at his hand, then back up at richie. the two shared a kiss, full of desperation and emotion.

“oh, by the way, will you move to new york with me?” richie said, his grin as wide as the sun. eddie giggled. “i thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope you all enjoyed this series. it got very difficult for me at points, but i still really enjoyed creating it for you all. leave all the comments and kudos you wish, and thank you all so much for the support. i have plenty of ideas, so expect more from me real soon. i love you all lots. -z

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoy! i'll be updating as soon as i can! please leave comments and kudos, much appreciated❤️ -z


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